The true face of bravery: War heroes captured on film

For several years photographer James Hill took fair and frank shots of Russian veterans

James Hill has worked as a photographer for the New York Times in Russia for more than 20 years. Of the many photos he has taken, his portraits of veterans stand out.

James Hill

For four years, he photographed veterans at Gorky Park on Victory Day. In 2010, he finished his project and published a book of the portraits, which was presented at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art.

James Hill

This year, James Hill's photo project, Victory Day, will be on display in London for the first time.

James Hill

James Hill: “The Great Patriotic War touched everybody in the Soviet Union. You go to any village, any city in western Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and you see the list of the dead. “

James Hill

"They served as nurses, radio operators, pilots and even snipers. In 2006, I only took photos of women. "

James Hill

"But then I saw very handsome old sailors and pilots and felt that I need to come back and work more. "

James Hill

“As a foreigner, I felt I could add something to the way veterans are seen in Russia. “

James Hill

“Because every Russian felt such respect towards them, it was hard for Russian photographers to work on this issue. There was no room for subjectivity. And if somebody would do it differently, it could be seen as a lack of respect. “

James Hill

"There were two particular reasons for my project: I was very interested in the women who fought in World War II because this was the greatest mobilization during wartime – over 500,000 women in the Soviet Union. "

James Hill

“I came to the Soviet Union for the first time in 1991 and as I lived on and off here, I felt that veterans weren’t seen as individuals. They were more like icons in the Soviet and post-Soviet mentality. When I saw portraits of them, I always saw heroes. Of course they were not glamorized, but somehow polished.”